


Out for Blood

by Dystopian_Dramaqueen



Category: The Handmaid's Tale (TV), The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Genre: Escape from gilead, F/M, Fred is a rapist piece of trash, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Karma - Freeform, Nick and Rita are rebel Mayday superstars, Protective Nick, sweet vengence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 18:01:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14939162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dystopian_Dramaqueen/pseuds/Dystopian_Dramaqueen
Summary: In “The Last Ceremony”, Fred and Serena Waterford violently rape June to induce labor.This is an alternate scene where June goes directly to Nick for help.When he finds out what happened, he acts accordingly.





	Out for Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Written after seeing the trailer for The Handmaid's Tale S2E10. Fans on Reddit were horrified that the writers would do this to June. One person said "Man, Nick better be out for blood after this." And I thought about it- I don't see any scenario where Nick would learn about this and continue to live there. In my mind he would take immediate vengence and get June to Safety. This is how I think it would happen.

 

**Out for Blood**

 

 

I climb the metal stairs to Nick’s apartment. Pausing, wincing with each step.

 

I haven’t hurt this bad since Hannah’s birth. Feels like a fucking war zone down there. I haven’t looked but I know it’s bruised and swollen. Things are torn. I need help.

 

I grit my teeth and continue climbing the stairs. Blood soaked socks squishing with each step. 

 

I finally make it to the landing and knock.

 

Eden opens the door. Before she can ask why I'm there, Nick pushes past her. He reads my face, taking in the blood on my boots. Face drawn with concern.

 

He scoops me into his arms and pushes the door shut behind us. He gives orders to Eden as he carries me across his apartment.

 

“Get Rita. Get boiled water, clean towels and a first aid kit.”

 

“Yes, Sir” she says obediently. 

 

He lowers his voice. Conveying urgency. “Quickly. Be quick and quiet. Don’t tell anyone else what you’re doing.” Eden nods and leaves.

 

Nick lays me on his bed gently, kneeling on the floor beside me. Face intense. Voice a whisper.

 

“What happened? Who did this?”

 

My lip trembles. I clench my jaw to try and stop it- unsuccessfully. I start crying. Sobbing uncontrollably. I have nothing left. No dignity, no strength. 

 

Funny that the years of silent ritualized rape didn’t break me. But this one did. This one hurt. Physically. Mentally. I screamed. I begged. I fought back, but I couldn’t stop them. They did it anyway. This was different. I didn’t allow this at all. This was rape.

 

Our brains try to protect us after trauma. Walling off the part that just got hurt. I feel this happening now. I can’t make words come. Even now. Even to Nick. Even though that’s why I came here.

 

Nick has always known how to listen, known just what I need even when I don’t know it myself. I see him reading my face. 

 

“Waterford?”

 

I nod yes.

 

His jaw clenches. He nods with disgust. Then finds my eyes again. Softening his face.

 

“Can I see?”

 

I nod yes.

 

He removes my boots, places them on the floor. Lifts my red dress to my waist. I hear his breathing stop.

 

I lift my hips to help him slide my cotton undershorts off. He's being as gentle as he can but it still hurts really badly.

 

I look up. My clothes, his hands, the bed are streaked with blood. My blood. I spread my legs. So he can inspect the damage.

 

He moves his eyes to mine, rimmed with tears. Jaw and fists clenched. Seething with rage.

 

Rita and Eden burst through the door. They both gasp. Eden averts her eyes.

 

Rita: “Is she in labor?” 

 

Nick: *shakes his head*

 

Rita approaches the bed. “....what happened?”

 

Nick: “Waterford.” 

 

Rita: Looking at Nick, unbelieving: “...what?”

 

They all look at me. I nod.

 

Rita sits on the bedside. Gets me cleaned up. Again reminding me of the nurses after Hannah’s birth. She gives me tylenol and a glass of water. Applies ointment to the cuts, helps me into a clean pair of underwear with a pad. She gets me tucked in.

 

I lay still, staring at the ceiling. Sometimes the tears come, sometimes I just stare.

 

Nick sends Eden on some meaningless errand. He and Rita talk in hushed voices. Rita leaves. Nick moves quickly around the apartment. Loading his gun. Packing.

 

After about an hour Nick sits on the side of the bed. He holds my hands in his, thumb stroking my fingers reassuringly. “Hey.”

 

“Hey.” I say.

 

“You’re safe. No one’s ever gonna hurt you again.”

 

Tears again. I can’t help it. I never cry. FUCK.

 

He wraps himself around me and holds me tight. Tells me it's over. That he's got me. That it's ok. I focus on his steady breathing. His warm chest. He rocks me until I calm down. 

 

“Rita is going to get a few things ready for us. Make some arrangements. She’s in Mayday too. High ranking. My boss actually.” He smiles when he says this. He has such a beautiful smile.

 

“I need to ask you a few questions. Is that ok?”

 

“Yes.” I say.

 

“Are Serena and Waterford in the house?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Their room?”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Are they awake?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Are you having any contractions right now?”

 

“No.”

 

“Do you think Hannah will recognize you?”

 

I pause. “Of course.”

 

“Ok. Get some rest. We’re leaving in a few hours.”

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“Canada. I’ve been thinking about what you said ever since the Boston Globe. You were right. We should have just gotten Hannah and driven North. I didn’t know where she was then. But I do now. We’re ready this time.”

 

Rita wakes me. Nick isn’t here. She changes me into some of Eden’s grey econo wife clothes. Like a mother dressing her child. She helps me down the stairs. The car is running. She helps me into the passenger seat. I see Eden asleep on the back seat, covered with a black blanket. “Is she ok?” I ask. “Yup. Early bedtime today. Thanks to klonopin and benadryl from the black market. I told her I needed help testing a new pudding recipe. She should be out for about 12 hours. I packed you a to-go container. Make her eat more if she wakes up.” We exchange a smile. I hug Rita. “Thank you. For everything.” “Godspeed.”

 

Inside Waterford’s house, Nick removes his shoes. Slowly climbs the stairs in socked feet to minimize creaking on the stairs. He approaches the bed. Both asleep. He positions his gun to the right of Waterford’s head, aimed at the temple. One shot. Serena sits up, but before she can scream Nick encircles her neck with his gloved hands and squeezes. She fights but he lays on top of her, immobilizing her arms. She goes limp a few minutes later. He places his gun in Waterford’s right hand and drapes it across his chest. He leaves a suicide note. Referencing the rape, the other crimes he and Serena had committed, his inability to live with his guilt any longer. It also listed people who could confirm his guilt. Witnesses who had seen him at Jezebel’s, etc. Signed in Waterford’s handwriting.

 

I hear the gunshot from the house. Its 2am. Luckily it doesn’t seem to wake the neighbors.  Now every nerve is on high alert. Nick walks quickly to the car.  “Rita went back to bed. She’s going to find them in the morning. She’s going to tell Aunt Lydia about the rape. That she saw it with her own eyes. She’s going to say that we left to seek emergency medical attention for you. Should give us a few day’s head start while they search the local hospitals for us.” We drive in silence. For 40 minutes.

 

We pull into a neighborhood, he flips the car lights off. He takes out a cell phone. “Mark. Nick. I need that favor we talked about. Yes. Now. Thanks. We’ll be there in 10 minutes.”

 

We pull up at the same house I had seen months ago with Serena. A guardian in black escorts a little girl in her pajamas out the front door, to the car.  She recognizes me. We embrace. She is sleepy, rubbing her eyes. I buckle her into the back seat.

 

We drive north. We stop occasionally at checkpoints. I pretend to sleep, cap pulled down over my face. Nick presents ID’s, his and Eden’s. Flashlights confirm I am a blonde female with grey clothes. We drive all night.

 

We stop at a farm. Nick carries Eden inside the farmhouse. Comes back out alone. No ring.  “I told her father that I was sorry but the marriage was over. She’ll be safe with him. I told them to leave town soon just in case anyone comes looking for us.”

 

Driving again. Must be close to the border now. He glances over at me and smiles. Reaches over to hold my hand. 

 

I feel a flicker of hope for the first time in years. This just might work.

 


End file.
